Apple fattening up iPad 3 for January reveal?

The iPad 3 is the next iOS treat we're expecting from the Apple vending machine, and there's a steady stream of rumours already flowing from the global Apple-watching press machine over the next-gen slate.

The latest? That the iPad 3 will be a bit fatter round the waist than the super-skinny iPad 2, bucking the trend we're seeing for ever-thinner mobile gadgets.

To be fair, though, the iPad 2 is so seriously slimmed down from the original iPad that it would be hard to trim anything further from its wafer-thin profile.

And that's just the problem Apple is facing as it lines up its third tablet offering. According to a trusted iLounge source, the iPad 3 faces being fattened up a little to make room for “the twin light bar system needed for its higher-resolution display”.

So if you're willing to put up with a very slightly thicker iPad, you'll get a serious screen resolution boost. Works for us.

iLounge goes on to say that the iPad 3 is “currently on track for a March timeframe release, and according to our source could be publicly shown as early as January, depending on conditions”.

Suddenly all those quad-core tablets being lined up for Mobile World Congress don't sound all that clever after all...

As always, thicker with a better battery is always best, however this rumour amused me the most just simply because of the reaction a "fatter" iPad 3 has made, quite a few people on macrumours and other sites have come out and said the equivalent of "NOOO, APPLE WOULD NEVER TAKE A STEP BACKWARDS AND MAKE A FATTER IPAD, "SOB"" (Paraphrasing slightly)

Realitly check people, the rumour is that adding the second light bar will add 0.8mm to the thickness. Thats mm, so less than 1mm. I doubt anyone would even be able to notice the difference. Makes me almost want to present these people with a piece of paper and say "look! The new ipad! Even thinner, just like you wanted"